Electrical oil-break switch



P. CHARPENTIER ELECTRICAL on BREAK SWITCH Filed Nov. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ||lLlL||| P. CHARPENTIER ELECTRICAL on. BREAK SWITCH Filed Nov. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ?atented Jan. 20, 1925.

entree stares 1,523,631 PATENT GFFMZE.

PAUL CHARCPEZNTIER, OIF PARIS, FRANCE. ASSIGNOR T0 FORGES ET ATELIEBS DE DON- STRUCTIONS ELECTRIQUES DE JEUMONT, SOCIETE ANONYME, O'F PABIS FRANCE.

ELECTRICAL OIL-BREAK SWITCH.

Application filed November 24, 1923. Serial No. 876,698.

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, PAUL Cnanrnn'rrnn, a citizen of the French Republic, and residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Oil- Brea'k Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This inevention relates to electrical oilbreak .switches.

It consists of an insulated main cylinder containing oil and surmounted by a vessel so contrived as to allow the escape of gases without projection or splashing of oil, and a chamber formed in said cylinder in communication with the latter, in which chamber the break of the arc takes place between a movable contact and a stationary one formed by a pipe serving for the expulsion of the gases which are directed into a closed vessel acting as a check or dashpot and a gas separator.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 represents diagrammatically by way of example an electrical switch arranged in accordance with the invention. 6 Figure 2 represents the combination of two such switches to provide a double break.

Figure 3 shows in part sectional elevation a modified construction suitable for very high tension systems.

Referring to Figure 1. of the drawing, the improved switch comprises a tube A of insulating material, which may be reinforced by metal hoops, insulated from one another and spaced apart at different levels. this tube are fitted metallic end-pieces B and C.

Upon the bottom end-piece C is fixed a vessel forming a chamber D in the upper wall of which is provided an orifice serving for the passage of the movable switch-contact E adapted to co-operate with a stationary contact formed by a tube F secured to the lower wall of the chamber D.

The tube F is insulated from the vessel forming the chamber D, which is itself 'insulated from the end C of the tube A; it delivers at its lower end into a pot H, the edge of which is fixed to'the end-piece 0; metal gauzes P are arranged in the pot H around the tube F.

The end-piece B of the tube A is surmounted by a cap I and so contrived as to Upon serve as a guide for the movable contact E. The interior of the cap I communicates with the bore of the tube A through openings Q, R, formed in the said end-piece B; this cap is provided internally with baffle plates or partitions such as J and K, and upon its outer wall at one of the highest points is fitted a lift-valve L.

The conductors M .and N of the electrical circuit controlled by the switch lead respectively to the opposite ends of this apparatus, on either side of the body A. One conductor M is connected to the cap I which surrounds the movable conact E, rubbing brushes G ensuring good electrical conductivity between the cap I and the movable contact E; the other conductor N leads to the pot H which encloses the 'fixed contact F to which this conductor is in addition connected directly.

The body or tube A is filled with oil which passes into the chamber D, the tube F and the bottom of the pot H, its rise in the latter being limited by the compression of the air enclosed in the pot H, which is at atmospheric pressure at the time of filling.

The apparatus is completed by any suitable mechanism which allows of operating the movable contact E with or without delay-action. and comprising or not, as desired. automatic looking and unlocking means of the known kinds. The apparatus can either be mounted upon legs, or fixed against a vertical wall. by means of suitable clamps or brackets, if desired provided with devices for rendering the apparatus readily dismountable. The end-pieces B and C can likewise be fittedupon current-carrying yokes mounted upon insulators. 7 Theimproved switch is arranged to operate in the following manner: When the movable contact E is displaced upwardly, in order to break the electrical circuit at the moment when the movable contact is withdrawn from the tube F constiuting the stationary contact, an arc is started between the extremities of these two contacts.

The upper open end of the tube F being free, the oil contained in the chamber D is driven out through the said tube F under the pressureof the gases formed around the are into the pot H in which the pressure is slightly greater than atmospheric; under these conditions, the upper edge or rim of the contact F which is the seat of the are becomes immediately cooled. The gases following the same path are likewise forced intoqthe pot H, in such a way that the are is drawn out ina space containing very. .little gas..

The upward. movement of the contact E continuing, when this contact member leaves the chamber D, the oilfrom this chamber is projected 'upon the extremity of the contact, E, as soon as the opening to the chamber D is freed, and. the are is thus rapidly extinguished if it has not already been blown out.

As soon as thebreak of thearc is obtained, as a result of the pressure "which is momentarilyestablished in the pot H, the gases and also the oil contained-therein are forced out through the tube Ftowards the chamber D and the tube A until this ressure again becomes normal, that is, equa to the atmospheric pressure increased merely by the head of the column of oil filling the apparatus. The gases thus driven from the pot H are then considerably cooled down by their double passage through the metal gauzes P.

All the gases generated by the arc rise in the apparatus through the body of oil, pass through the upper'end-piece B by way of the holes Q and R, penetrates into the cap I,

- and, escape to the exterior of the valve L.

If the gases still act with any considerable pressure at the time when they enter the cap I, the mixture'of oil and gaseous bubbles after its passage through the. openings Q and R is projected upon the bafiies J and K, in such a way that the oil is separated from the gases and falls again into the tube A through the said openings, while the gases continue their journey to the atmosphere.

- The improved switch such as described above, with reference to Figure 1 of the drawing might be modified without going beyond the scope of the invention; it might likewise be completed particularly by the addition ofcasings, gutters or the like, such as petticoats, caps and so on, with external leakage lines, for the purpose of protecting the essential parts of the apparatus, the body 'or supporting members, against rain and atmospheric influences. The apparatus might likewise be provided with a device for renewing orv for circulating the used oil, with interposed filters or the like.

Figure 1 of the drawing represents the invention applied to an apparatus with a single break-point, such as would be fitted for one phase or one pole of an installation. Several identical apparatus might be arranged beside one another, in an mstallation having several phases or poles; in this case' ,it would be preferable to adopt a single device for actuating simultaneously the several movable contacts E.

In the case where several apparatus were adopted in an installation in order to obtain s'everalbreaks per phase or pole, it would be advantageous to modify the type of-apparatus represented in Figure 1, by suppressing the separate pot H m each and replacing them by 'a single vessel, performingthe same for all the co-relatedfunction and serving apparatus. a

Figure Q'ofthe accompanying drawing represents this modification by way of ex ample, asv applied to two co related appa I As can readily be seen in this examplsi the two juxtaposedapparatus are arrange as in the single apparatus of Figure 1, except that the pot H which was attached to the lower end of the apparatus is replaced.

byv a single vessel H near the bottom of which the two pipes F and F serving as stationary contacts in the two apparatus are arranged to deliveror open.

- In this combination, each apparatus functions in the manner indicated with regard to Figure 1, the common vessel H performing for each of them the ofliee devolving upon the pot H in the example of Figure 1.

When the improved switch is to be applied to installations working at very high voltage, there will preferably be adopted the principle-of the modification shown in Figure 2, but as shownin Figure 3 the tube A will be provided with petticoats at having interposed at a a filling material of an insula'tlng nature, preferably moulded or cast in place, and presenting high dielectric strength or rigidity. The Petticoats a might likewise be formed integral with the tube A itself. I j

Insulating tubes 0"? and 7' serving to support the apparatus may be utilized one r for leading in the fresh oil and the other 0' for removing the pverfiow of spent oil.

Lastly for these very high tension apparatus, the chamber D of the types shown in Figures 1 and 2 is completed by a suitable number of concentric chambers D D D surroundingthe first, formed at their top by metallic truncated cones d (Z (Z fitting upon cylindrical barrels 00 00 a made of insulating material and secured in any convenient manner upon the end-piece or bottom cover C. All the chambers D communicate with one another through openings formed in their side walls, in such a way that the pressure generated in the central chamber D is propagated into the surrounding chambers D D etc.,' with progressive attenuation.

In an apparatusof this kind, by adopting a suitable shape for the cover 0 and the elements which it supports, the deposits of spent oil will easily be brought to the pe- The switch apparatus constituted according to the present invention offer the following advantages (1) Reduction of the volume of oil to 6 the quantity strictly necessary in order that the rupture-arc shall take place in the oil and that the gases evolved. at the break shall be able to expand without damaging the apparatus;

(2) Suppression of the thicknesses of oil which it is necessary to maintain in ordinary apparatus, between the gaseous masses and,

the metal baths containing the oil;

(3) Suppression of the customary crossbar terminals;

\ (4) Suppression of dangerous pressures.

by the checking or dashpot action of the pot H;

(5) Separation of the gases from the are proper. these gases being withdrawn and expelled through the tube F forming the stationary contact (6) Suppression of any projections or splashing of oil to, the exterior.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. An electrical oil-break switch, comprising a container for oil, a cap closing the upper end of said container, said cap having passages to allow escape of gases, a bottom end to said container, a tubular electrode supported by said bottom end, a closed vessel secured to the exterior of said bottom end, the open lower extremity of said tubular electrode entering said closed vessel, and a movable electrode passing through said cap and said oil container into the open upper end of said tubular electrode.

ing a container for oil, a cap closing the upper end of said container, said cap having passages to allow escape of gases, a bottom end to said container. a chamber supported by said bottom end, said chamber having an opening at its upper end, a tubular electrode supported by said chamber, a closed vessel secured to the exterior of said bottom end, the open'lower extremity of, said tubular electrode entering said closed vessel. and a movable electrode passing through said cap and said oil container into the open upper end of said tubular electrode within said chamber.

3. An electrical oil-break switch, comprising a container for oil, a cap closing the upper end of said container, said cap having 2. An electrical oil-break switch, compris-- passages to allow escape of gases, 9. bottom end to said container, a chamber supported by said bottom end, said chamber having an opening at its upper end, a tubular electrode supported'by said chamber but electrically insulated therefrom, means for conveying current. to and from said. cap and said tubular electrode, a closed vessel secured to the exterior of said bottom end, the open lower extremity of said tubular electrode entering said closed vessel, and a movable electrode passing through said cap and said oil container into the open upper end of said tubular electrode within said chamber.

4. An electrical oil-break switch, comprising a cylindrical container made of insulating material, a conducting cap closing theupper end of said container, a movable electrode slidable through said cap in line with the axis of said container, sald cap having passage to-allow escape of gases, a bottom end to said container, a chamber supported by said bottom end, said chamber having an opening at its upper extremity in line with the axis of said container, a tubular electrode supported by said chamber, said electrode having both ends open and passing through the bottom of said chamber in line with the axis of said container, and a closed vessel secured .to the bottom end of said container and adapted to enclose the lower part of said chamber and the projecting portion of said tubular electrode.

5. An electrical oil-break switch, comprising an insulating container for oil, a hollow cap closing the upper endof said container, said ca having passages to allow escape of gases, afiles within said cap to prevent escape of oil, an arc-chamber supported by the closed lower end of said container, said chamber having an opening at its upper end, a tubular electrode secured in the bottom of said chamber, the open up or end of said electrode terminating in sea chamber in line with said opening, a closed vessel mounted below said container, the open my signature.

- PAUL CHARPENTIER. 

